Sprinkler head for automatic sprinkler systems



April 6, 1937., A. c. ROWLEY 2,076,483

SPRINKLER HEAD FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS I .Filed 051. 25, 1935Patented Apr. 6, 1937 UNITED STATES QFFICE' SPRINKLER HEAD FOR AUTOMATICSPRINKLER SYSTEMS Arthur C. Rowley, Drexel Hill, Pa., assignor to GlobeAutomatic Sprinkler Company, Phila- 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in sprinkler heads for automaticsprinkler systems, and the principal object of the invention is toprovide a sprinkler head frame of novel and improved construction whichcan be manufactured at materially lower cost and will be generally moreefficient than the frames made in accordance with the prior practices.

Frames of this character commonly comprise spaced arms which at one endare attached to the body of the sprinkler head and which in effect forma supporting yoke for a deflector element located in the path of thestream of water projected from the said body, the function of this de- 7flectorbeing to disperse and spread the water over a relatively largearea. Such frames heretofore have been in the form of castings, with thedeflector element being formed as a separate part. These prior framesnot only had the disadvantage of relatively high cost of manufacture butwere relatively inefficient, in that the cast support frequentlyinterfered with the efficient operation of the deflector.

The primary objects of the present invention,

therefore, are to reduce the cost of manufacture of frames of thischaracter, and at the same time to provide a frame which is generallymore efficient in the respects hereinafter set forth than the frames ofthe prior art.

In the attached drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a frame made in accordance with myinvention showing the manner of its attachment to the body of thesprinkler head;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation of the completed frame;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the frame;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the frame, and

Fig. 5 is a view of the sheet metal blank from which the frame isproduced.

The frame made in accordance with my in vention is produced as anintegral structure from sheet metal, the initial step consisting informing a flat blank from the metal sheet by a simple stampingoperation. This blank comprises a mid section I of roughly circularform, the peripheral portion of which consists of an annular series ofradially projecting tongues 2. Extending from the outer ends ofadjoining pairs of the tongues,

designated by the reference characters 2a, 2a, at

diametrically opposite sides of the mid section 5 are arms 3, 3, saidarms having outwardly diverging side edges 4, 4, and each terminating attheir outer ends in rectangular terminal portions 5. As illustrated, thecircular mid section is provided with apertures 6 arranged in spacedrelation around the center.

The fiat blank described above is partially formed to the finished shapeby means of a stamping operation, which involves the pressing of thecentral portion of the mid section I from the normal plane of the latterto produce a central conical projection l on one face of the mid sectionand a corresponding concavity on the other face, the apertures 6 lyingon the inclined sides of this central conical projection. Also and asclearly illustrated, the tongues 2 and 2a are turned down or depressedtoward that face of the mid section from which the cone 1 projects. Inthis operation also the arms 3, including the terminal portions 5, arebent to channel form, said channel decreasing in depth toward andterminating approximately at the outer ends of the tongues 2a fromwhich, as previously described, the said arms extend.

In succeeding operations, the channeled arms 3 are bent into substantialparallelinity with each 7 other and substantially perpendicular to thenormal plane of the mid section I, and the longitudinal edges of thechanneled terminal portions 5 of the arms are brought together, therebygiving said terminal portions a roughly cylindrical form. The saidterminal portions are then machined externally to true cylindrical shapesuitable for insertion in cylindrical sockets or openings formed fortheir reception in the body of the sprinkler head, as shown in Fig. 1.

In assembling the frame with the body of the sprinkler head, thecylindrical end portions 8 of the arms are passed through the openings90. in lugs 9 projecting from opposite sides of the body ll] of thesprinkler head. The portions 8 of the frame are sufiiciently greater inlength than the thickness of the lugs 9 to permit the riveting orupsetting of the ends, as indicated at 8a in Fig. 1, to thereby rigidlyand efliciently secure the frame to the body of the sprinkler head.

The frame is characterized by simplicity of form and manufacture andneatness of appearance. It is also highly -eflicient in thewater-deflecting function, in that the deflector portion issubstantially symmetrical throughout, and that surface of the deflectorpresented to the water stream is entirely unobstructed, this by reasonof" the fact that as described the supporting arms merge into the outerends of the depressed deflecting tongues 2a.

There may be some modification in detail without departure from theinvention.

I claim:

1. A sheet-metal frame for sprinkler heads comprising a mid section ofroughly circular form constituting a deflector, and integral supportingarms extending from opposite sides of said deflector, said arms having asubstantially U-shaped cross section throughout the major portion oftheir lengths and having each a cylindrical terminal end portion forattachment to the body of the sprinkler head.

2. A sheet-metal frame for sprinkler heads comprising a mid section ofroughly circular form having a pressed-out substantially conical centerportion at the under side, the peripheral portion of said mid sectionconsisting of a series of outwardly projecting tongues and said tonguesbeing turned down to form with said conical center a concaved deflectingsurface at the said under side mid section, said arms being shapedthroughout the major portions of their lengths to longitudinal channelform, and each arm having a cylindrical extremity constituting means forattaching the frame to the body of the sprinkler head.

ARTHUR C. ROWLEY.

